CNC Machining & Custom Machined Parts

When a Standard Part Does Not Solve The Problem

Custom machining may be worth evaluating when a needed component cannot be adequately addressed with a readily available standard part.

That may happen when:

• a replacement component is difficult to source;
• an existing component is no longer readily available;
• a standard replacement doesn’t fit the equipment or configuration;
• an application requires a custom component;
• an engineered component is ready to move from design into machining;
• a MecTec fabrication project requires a machined component;
• a customer or vendor has a defined component that needs to be produced;
• a component need is identified during equipment repair.

An unavailable or difficult-to-source component does not automatically mean F&H should machine a new one. An existing replacement, repair, modification, Engineering support, fabrication, or another F&H resource may make more sense.

The goal is to understand the problem first and determine whether custom machining is the right solution to consider.

Custom Machined Parts & Components

F&H’s Machine Shop supports custom parts and components that fall within the shop’s capabilities. A machining need may begin with a defined part, an equipment requirement, an engineered design, a fabrication project, or a component request from a customer or vendor.

Custom Parts for Customers & Vendors

F&H can support custom component requirements for customers and vendor partners when the requested part fits the Machine Shop’s capabilities.

Equipment Components

The Machine Shop can support custom components intended for existing equipment, assemblies, systems, and other equipment-related applications.

Engineered Components

Some parts begin as application-specific components developed through F&H Engineering. When machining is required to carry that design forward, the Machine Shop provides another in-house technical resource.

Components for Fabricated Assemblies

MecTec fabrication projects may also require custom-machined components. A machined part may become one element of a skid, assembly, base, manifold, or other fabricated solution.

What Affects a Custom Machining Project?

A machining project involves more than simply reproducing a part. The component must be evaluated based on the equipment and application where it will be used.

Several factors help us understand the machining requirements:

• Required Function: What does the component need to accomplish? Understanding its purpose helps us focus on what the part needs to do, not just what it looks like.
• Existing Parts, Drawings & Dimensions: Available components, drawings, measurements, equipment information, and other documentation help establish what is already known and what still needs to be defined.
• Equipment Fit & Connections: Connections, clearances, surrounding components, and how the part fits into the larger assembly can all affect machining requirements.
• Materials & Sanitation Requirements: Material specifications, product-contact considerations, and sanitary requirements should be identified early rather than assumed.
• Operating Conditions: How the equipment operates, what the component is exposed to, and how it interacts with the surrounding process may influence what is required.

Understanding these factors helps us evaluate your machining needs and determine what additional information or technical resources may be needed.

Machining Can Be One Part of a Larger Equipment Solution

A custom component does not always begin or end in the Machine Shop. The need may also involve design, fabrication, equipment evaluation, repair, replacement parts, or several F&H resources working together.

F&H Engineering

When a component still needs to be defined or developed around application requirements, F&H Engineering can help evaluate the need and develop the design.

Once the design is established, the Machine Shop can support machining that falls within its capabilities.

MecTec Fabrication

A fabricated skid, assembly, base, manifold, or other solution may also require a custom-machined component. MecTec and the Machine Shop can work together when fabrication and machining are both part of the project.

Service & Repair

A component need may surface while F&H is evaluating or repairing process equipment. When a part is worn, damaged, unavailable, or difficult to source, F&H can consider whether repair, an available replacement, machining, or another solution makes more sense.

Equipment, Parts & Inventory Resources

Custom machining should not automatically be the first answer when a component is difficult to obtain. F&H’s equipment, parts, and inventory resources may provide an appropriate existing option.

The objective is to solve the equipment or component problem, not to make something custom simply because machining is available.

 

Have a Part That Is Difficult to Source, Replace, or Fit to the Application?

You do not need to have the machining solution figured out before contacting F&H. Start with what your team already knows about the component and where it is used.

Helpful information can include:

• the existing component, when available;
• available drawings;
• dimensions or measurements;
• equipment manufacturer and model information when relevant;
• what the component needs to accomplish;
• known material information;
• product, sanitation, or application requirements when relevant;
• relevant operating conditions.

F&H can use that information to better understand the component need and determine whether the next step should involve custom machining, Engineering, MecTec Fabrication, Service & Repair, an available part, or another F&H resource.

Start with the component and the problem. F&H can help determine the next step.